Improvement in gas-lighting torches



I E. L. MEGILL. Gas-Lighting Torch.

No. 197,523@ Pe l tiepted Nov. 27, 1877.1

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF C EDWARD L. MEGILL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAS-LIGHTIKlG TORCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,523, dated November 27, 1877; application filed September 24, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. MEGILL, of the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas -Lighting Torches, of which the following is a description:

My invention relates to improvements up on, and is intended for the same purpose as, my invention for which Letters Patent were granted July 24, 1877.

The object of this invention is to furnish a more compact and reliable mechanism for the feeding of the fulminate tape, and to provide a positive protection for the said tape from the flame of gas after the latter has been ignited.

The device is also intended to obviate the necessity of detaching small portions of the tape as it is being used, and confine the entire strip until the coil is expended.

Another object is to furnish an arrangement whereby the flame of gas, during the interval of ignition, may be prevented from smoking any part of the apparatus above the ignitingpoint, and at the same time admit the free lighting of the issuing gas.

Another object is to furnish or provide a place in the lighting apparatus where an extra coil of tape may be kept in reserve.

I The invention consists of a long handle having a trigger, which when pulled, acts upon a novel wire ratchet-rod, a feeding and striking device for exploding a percussion-tape over a gas-burner, and igniting the gas issuing therefrom, whether surrounded by a globe or otherwise arranged on a chandelier or bracket.

It particularly consists in anovel arrangement of parts, whereby three separate chambers or apartments are constructed within the torch.

. One I term a supply-chamber, in which a primed coil of tape is placed. Adjoining this is another chamber, containing a wheel, upon which the coil of tape is rolled from the supply-chamber in another coil of expended tape. This wheel is sufficiently large to admit within itscenter another primed coil for the purpose of instantly replacing the one in the supplychamber. This I term a reserve-tape chamber. As the coils of tape are continually being used, for the convenience of consumers, I construct this apartment so that, on removing the cover,

and finding the supply-chamber empty, a new coil may be taken from another part of the apparatus and put in its place. From this wheel the expended tape is withdrawn in one piece, and cast aside as waste.

The principle I adopt for insuring a positive feed or movement of the tape over the anvil upon which the pellets are to be struck for explosion is that of pulling or drawing, instead of pushing or driving. To carry out this principle I construct a suitable feeding devi e', 1n such position with relation to the coil ofiprimed tape as to bring the anvil between themt'. 0., instead of placing the feeder between the anvil and the primed coil of tape, I place the feeder on one side of the anvil and the coil of primed tape on the opposite sideso that, by attaching one end of the primed tape, which may be left blank in making, to a proper pulling movement, which may be otherwise called a feeder, I am enabledto draw the remainder of the tape from its coil across orover the anvil, 'where the pellets are struck by the hammer until all the pellets on the said tape. are exploded. By thus arranging the tape, anvil,

and feeder with. relation'to each other I obtain a positive, regular, and steady movement, and overcome the objections invariably encountered in apparatus heretofore invented, wherein the feeding is done by a pushing or driving-motion, in which the end of the tape is compelled to sustain itself in passing between the hammer and anvil, where it often wrinkles, folds up, and stops feeding.

Another feature of importance in this invention is that of confining or inclosing within the apparatus that portion of the tape which has had the pellets discharged from it. Heretofore this portion'of the tape has been passed to the outside of the apparatus, and either burned or torn off by degrees. Any suitable construction of parts may be employed for confining this expended portion of the tape, both for the purpose of permitting its rem oval in a single piece and of preventing it from coming in contact with the flame of gas. I

As herein shown and described, the tape is placed inside the supply-chamber, and the end of it passed over the anvil and attached to a wheel, which acts as a drawing or pulling device for carrying the primed tape from its coiled state in the supply-chamber across the anvil-to the expended-tape chamber, where it is re-coiled upon the said wheel. Any suitable means, however, may be employed for 00min the tape; also, showing in dotted lines the position of the hammer, when about to strike the tape, with relation to the drawn trigger and ratchet-rod Fig. 2 is a longitudinal edge view of the torch with the cover closed, which is mainly in illustration of the anvil, gas-shield,

and clasp of the cover. 1 Fig. 3 is a transverse 1 section taken through the center of the apartments of the expended and reserve tapes, on the line .t'a: of Fig. 1, giving an inner central edge view of the feeding or winding wheel. I Fig. 4 is a central edge view of a disk having tongues turned up from its periphery.

Ais aframe or case, made of sheet metal, within which are constructed the three chambers for the tapes, and the feeding and strikl B is the supply-chamber, into: which is placed the primed tape a, in the form of a coil; and Oi's the apartment for receiv- I ing the expended tape af,'and D the chamber for holding the extra coil ofprimed tape in 1 ing devices.

serve, all being closed on the one side by a lid,

E. Turning freely upon-a central screw .01. stud, I), is a ratchet-wheel, F, having lateral projections 0 arranged at regular distances; apart in'a circle around said central stud I),

i into the supply-chamber B, as shown in Fig. 1.

and within the circle of ratchetteeth d.

The projections 0 may be formed either by striking and turning up tongues from the wheel a: F, orby turning up tongues from the periphcry of a disk, S, attached to said wheel F, as shown in Fig. 4.

winding the primed taped from the supplyc hamber B and of winding the expended tape to around tli e projections 0.

The hammer G is formed of a piece of flat' springmetah-and is fastened atoneend to the of the tape.

The anvil His stationed near the mouth of i the supply chamber B, and is constructed by being pressed up from the metal frameorcase Ain such a manner as to bring its upperedge under the centerof thehead'of the hammer- G,

Saidcircle of lateral pro- -.jections 0 forms the dividing-wall between the apartments of the expended and reserve tapes. The wheel F serves the threefold purpose of I operating the hammer G, of feeding or -unin a parallel line'with it. Secured to the anvil H is an arch or shield, I, which is placed over the gas-burner, hereinafter more fullydescribed.

The parts thus referred to are supported at a suitable distance from. the stem or handle J by arms K K, cast, with which is a keyturner, L, for letting on and turning off the gas.

The device for operating the wheel F to draw the, tape a from the supply chamber 13 its required distance, and to raise the hammer Gr, consists of a long wire ratchet-rod, M, which engagesyby its own spring, movement, with one of the teeth d, and, passing down through the stem J, it is pressed upward or outward .by a spiral spring, 9, when pressure is removed from the trigger h, which projects laterally from the piston-rod 1' through a slot in the stem J, near the inner end of the handle J.

By pulling down on the trigger, the windin g-wheel F is partially revolved, and the hammer G raised until one of the teeth d clears a lip on the side of the latter at o. The springhammer G then, being released, falls quickly upon the percussion-pellet of the tape a, drawn forward, by the turning of the wheel F, onto or over the anvil H, and explodes the pellet, which ignites the gas.

The wheel F is caused to revolve until the entire coil is wound around the projections 0 and withdrawn from the supply-chamber B, andeach pellet has been successively exploded. The expended tape is then removed from the wheel as waste.

To adjust new tape, a loop is made of the loose end of the coil, and placed upon one of the lateral projections c on'the wheel F, and continued down underneath .thehammer G, (the caps or pellets facing the anvil H,)and=dropped I do not, however, wish to confine myself to this particular mode of attaching the tape, as it may be secured in any simple manner without aifecting theprinciple. a y

The hammer Galso acts as a stripper for unrolling the coil of tape as it is being drawn from the supplychamber B. As the said hammer lifts, the end of itpasses through the coil, which latter follows its upward :and 3 downward motion within the magazine, said magazine being made oval-shaped and open on the side toward the hammer, to allow; its

entrance and-operation.

The ratchet rod M is screwed into the pistonrod 19:, and extends up through the stem J in a very slight curve, which causes it to lean to one side of said stem in the direction 0f the wheel F. The end of said ratchet-rodis formed into a hook, having :a slit ornotch cut into it, through which the teeth 1d pass,and

aftereaeh downward stroke of the trigger .h, at the same instant that the spiral spring .g

forces therodMback or upward,the"elasticity through the entire length of thewine rod causes its upper hooked end, like a ratchet,

fed-spring over andupon the teeth, the said freely in the air.

rod M being made stiff enough to enable its hooked end to turn said wheel and lift the hammer G.

The arms K K correspond in shape with the said hook, and rise sutficiently above the level of the shield or arch I to accommodate the edge of globes when over the gas-burner, as the shield I and-the igniting part of the torch are made to extend inside all globes the correct distance, and need not be seen to be placed properly-an advantage gained when porcelain or other than transparent globes or shades are used.

The lid or cover E, pivoted at k, when slid aside, exposes at the same time the three in.- side chambers, which allows the tapes to be easily adjusted and removed. When closed, a spring clamp or band, I, made in one piece with said cover E, engages at the opening with the opposite side of the supply-chamber B, which keeps the said cover in place. The cover is disengaged by pressing against the thumb-piece Z.

To the anvil H is riveted a shield or arch, I, made in an open-shell shape. When the gas is to be ignited this shield or arch is placed over the burner,and the gas, flowing toward or against it, finds its way to the upper inner surface or center, and past its narrowest edges directly under the exploding-pellet. As the anvil H is made sharp and narrow, and the fire of the pellet is driven downward on each side of it by the force'of the hammer coming in the same direction, as indicated by the arrows, this particular stream of gas receives the greater portion of the fire, and thus becomes ignited instantly without concussion. This shield does not confine and mix the gas as a deflector or bell, but attracts it toward the anvil from the front and rear, then spreads it, and allows it to pass unobstructed upward on both sides, so that it will ignite This shield is cheaply made, and by its combination the parts of the torch located above it are kept free from smoke caused by the burning gas during the interval of lighting it.

The feeding and striking devices of this invention may be applied in combination with lighters of various kinds.

I claim- 1. A lighting apparatus provided with suitable mechanism for pulling or drawing the ig-t niting-tape over and beyond the anvil, substantially as herein described.

2. A lighting apparatus provided with an expended-tape chamber, for receiving and confining the tape/after the pellets thereon have been exploded, substantially as herein described and set forth.

3. A lighting apparatus provided with a reserve-tape chamber for holding an extra coil of tape in readiness to replace the coil of tape being discharged, substantially as herein described.

4. The combination, with the supply-cham ber B, of the expended-tape chamber G, whereby the coil of tape is unrolled from the former and recoiled into the latter, substantially as herein described and set forth.

5. In a gas-lighting apparatus, the combination, with the supply-chamber -B, of the hammer G, for stripping or. unrolling the tape as it is drawn from said magazine, substantially as described.

6. In a gas-lighting torch, a revolving wheel for feeding, winding, and holding upon itself the percussion-tape, substantially as herein described.

7. A ratchet-wheel, F, provided with lateral projections 0, so as to form a cylinder with one or more notches or slits for securing the loose end of a coil of tape and drawing it from the magazine, substantially as herein set forth and described.

8. The spring-acting ratchet-rod M, secured to and acting with the trigger h, in combination with the ratchet-wheel F, by which said wheel is caused to revolve, and wind the tape, and lift thehammer to explode the pellets over the anvil at regular intervals, substantially as herein described and set forth.

9. The combination of the lateral projections c with the wheel F, forming a chamber for the reserve-tape, substantially as herein described. 1

10. The combination of the curved hammerspring G with the frame or case A, whereby said hammer serves as a dividing-wall between the magazine B and expendedtape chamber 0, substantially as herein set forth. 7

11. In a. gas-lighting torch, a gas shield or arch, I, for attracting and spreading the'gas under the igniting-point as it escapes from the burner, substantially as herein described and set forth.

EDWARD L. MEGILL.

Witnesses:

FRANK HARRISON, HENRY F. MEGILL. 

